FBI takes issue with comments by Templeton man

Wednesday

A local businessman who is a town official and a blogger has drawn the attention of the FBI over inflammatory remarks he made to the bureau's Boston office.

No criminal charges haven been filed, but Police Chief David Whitaker said police were contacted on Friday by an FBI agent who told him Paul H. Cosentino Sr. contacted the FBI's Boston office and left threatening remarks on its voice mail and directly to an FBI agent who returned the call.

Chief Whitaker said Mr. Cosentino, owner of Cosentino Salvage & Recycling Inc., threatened violence to people who would be attending the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday.

“He said something like, ‘What do I have to do to get your attention? Shoot someone like Gabrielle Giffords?' ” Chief Whitaker said.

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot in January 2011 in an attack in Tucson, Ariz. The man charged with her shooting was angry over political issues and he was mentally ill.

Mr. Cosentino showed up for the selectmen's meeting Monday, but the meeting had to be postponed when the crowd exceeded the capacity of the meeting room. Mr. Cosentino said he had matters he wanted to bring to the board.

Before Mr. Cosentino entered the town office building, he was patted him down by Chief Whitaker. The chief said he also kept an eye on him Tuesday night at the recount of the Feb. 6 recall vote. Mr. Cosentino was at the recount in support of recalled Selectmen Julie Farrell and Robert Mitchell.

The chief said the actions were taken as a precaution. Mr. Cosentino does not have a history of violence. He does have strong political opinions, which he expresses at meetings and on his blog, Pauly's Templeton Watch.

Mr. Cosentino said his remarks to the FBI were taken out of context. He was calling out of concern over political issues in town and what might be brought up at the selectmen's meeting on Monday. He said he was also concerned about issues involving the town police and was seeking help from the FBI. He said he is unhappy with the FBI agent, who did not give his name, because he feels he was lied to. He said he asked the agent if he was being taped and he was told the agent was not taping him.

“It was totally out of context,” he said. “Whoever it was should be ashamed of himself.”

Chief Whitaker said he took the call from the FBI seriously and contacted Robert Columbus, who is the chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and Town Administrator Jeffrey Ritter to talk to them about the situation. The chief said the remarks made to the FBI were similar in context to remarks made in October 2010 that got Mr. Cosentino banned from all town buildings for three weeks.

His remarks included the words “going postal,” and selectmen who heard that considered it a threat. Mr. Cosentino said at the time the remark was made in jest and an attempt to get his point across. He said it was not a threat.

Mr. Cosentino has been seeking for several years to get various issues addressed. The issues include some that have arisen through the Conservation Commission, which he is a member.

Chief Whitaker said he is writing a report on the incident and waiting to hear the FBI's tape. At this point he is not looking to charge Mr. Cosentino with a crime.

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